Bike at College - University of Illinois
 

I have a one month old 2005 Trek 4300 right now and it's still quite shiny :)

is it a bad idea to use it as my daily get to class bike?

I currently have a Kryptonite Evolution (with flat key) u-lock + kryptocable to secure the front wheel.

I plan on getting a seat collar that uses a bolt instead of quick realease for extra security.

Any flaw in my plan? I'd really like to use my new bike, but security is somewhat worrying me :(

It's probably best to try and find an old bike for commuting at college (especially at a school as big as Illinois). I go to a relatively small school (6,000 students) and I currently ride a 1985 Trek 620 touring bike (I used to ride a 60s/70s cruiser).

Check garage sales and the classifieds. You may want to get something slick/high pressure tires (or you could just put that type of tire on an old mountain bike) since most of your riding will be on the road.

When I made a campus visit to the University of Michigan in HS, I'm pretty sure I saw a room on the first floor of the dorms where bikes could be stored. Does Illinois have the same thing?

Good Luck

i know this doesnt help in anyway shape or form but my sister is coming in to u of i this year as a freshman :D

Replace all quick releases with bolts. The Evolution would be a good lock to secure the front wheel to the frame. Then use a heavier lock, such as the OnGuard Pitbull, to secure the rear wheel to a steel post set in concrete.

If you take a "newer" looking bike, make it look older. Wrap the chain stay with black electric tape. Put decals and stickers for your favorite rock groups on the top tube. Never wash it. Put on a comfortable saddle that is split and torn and ratty looking.

Don't park near bars and nightclubs after dark. Don't leave the bike overnight in dark, isolated areas. Scout out the best "lock up" locations near each of your classes ahead of time.

And, ride everyday. I see bikes here in Houston at Rice University that look as if they have not moved in months. The only reason to have a bike is to ride it.

I do have an older x-mart mountain bike, I don't like it though :(

The dorm i'm staying in only has outdoor racks but I can bring my bike inside if my roommates ok it.

woo, freshman here too!

I'm going to leave the wheel quick release skewers on, hopefully by locking the u-lock inside the 'triangle' of the rear wheel along with a cable lock for the front wheel will be secure enough.

thanks for the tips all! more will be appreciated too :)

I went to grad school at Illinois. I road an older Schwinn Frontier and never had a problem. I u-locked the rear tire to the frame and cable locked the front to a rack or post.

When I was there, the school made you buy a registration sticker to place on your bike in order to "park" on campus. I don't know if they still do that. But, theoretically, if the bike was stolen and recovered, the sticker number could help identify it.

I went to grad school at Arizona State where people who should have been harvested as stem cells will quickly steal or vandalize almost any bike left unattended. They even steal huffy's there. At the time all I had was a cannondale caad 3 mtb which I loved dearly. It took only 1 week of being on campus and seeing all of the taco'd wheels and cut locks to decide that a lock would not protect my bike from someone who had no sense of social obligation. It was just not worth the risk for me.

I used Ebay to find an early 90's jamis with full stx without suspension that was very fast and quite scratched up. I paid $45 for the bike and another $45 to have it shipped. I had no theft/vandalism problems in two years on campus. By the way, I still love my Jamis and prefer to commute on it over my road bike.

Definitley do not follow this advice. This is what beaters were made for.